Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Sunday, July 27, 2008

In the UK, If someones on the mic in a pub on a friday night they're most likely to be singing pissed up Ronan Keating karaoke or rapping at crack speed over drum 'n'bass. Not ideal.

In Mexico DF, New York and many other Mexican & US cities Sonidera DJs are heavyweight cumbia riddim selectas dropping Colombian bangers for the gente, battering the laser button all night. Bouncing Mex-Electro-Rave clashes with screwed & chopped cumbias, rebajadas style. Soundsystem cd rewinds and barrio shout outs like an audio dub barrage over the music. Mic Echo essential.

At first my bad spanish made me think that the DJs chat was just for hyping up the crowd. Then I read this. The DJs are doing far more. Sonidero dances act as a meeting point for young mexican communities wherever they are.

"A young man might proclaim his love to his girlfriend, shout-out to his friends, or send a greeting to his family. They could be in the same dance hall, in New Jersey, or in the Mexican state of Puebla. The performance will be recorded, and CDs of the event will be sold as early as the next day. The dedicator of a number can then buy the CD and send it to the girlfriend left behind in Mexico, give it to friends, or keep it as a memento." From this again.

Sonido Kumbala is apparently the undisputed Boss of the sonidera game. Thats his record shop above in the pic.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

I just spent a few days down south in the land de los angeles. I flew over California and watched trees burn. I landed amongst the pacific haze that the area is known for (a combination of the sea mist, fire smoke, and pollution.)

Spending time with a childhood friend of Greek parentage and cultural heritage, who had just come back from 2 months in Greece, we were grooving to some of the latest sounds goin' down at clubs in places like Mykonos. We were comparing the sounds on L.A.'s hip hop/reggaeton station "Latino" to the sounds coming out of Europe and enjoying the similarities. The fact that DJ Laz was in town and a guest on Saturday, probably added to the comparison and my excitement, as he was mixing a bunch of exclusive Latin Miami Bass remixes and promoting his new album to be released next week. His new single with Pitbull and Flo-Rida has an interpolation of this European club hit.

Sometime during the week my friend and I were going through some of the more Greek centered pop tracks that he picked up. After giving him a couple of Cumbia tracks to play while we drove around the expansive L.A. highway system, and after taking down a couple drinks I was shouting out the window to passersby, "CUMBIA!!!" He made sure to draw my attention to this:

L.A. is the land of Brangelina, Hollywood Starlets, Rehab, and MTV reality famous for doing nothing celebs. I see young people move there and get caught up. But beyond that, it's a huge diverse place with vast neighborhoods of people from literally everywhere, and that's a side to L.A. that doesn't always make it to mainstream media markets (Black Eyed Peas being an exception?!?)

(Soundtrack for what?!?)

On my way back home I was listening to Fosforo, who did that Cumbia de Obama track, and started thinking about what it would be like to be a politically conscious, working or middle class person, or a member of a large ethnic community in a place that is so engulfed in blind capital consumerism. What would it be like to be a teacher in a place of distorted quality of life priorities, in vast neighborhoods notorious for being ruled by youth with guns or corrupt police, while young millionaires party their lives away down the street. It's a place that bubbles with violence and has exploded in rage many times before. I did a show in a community center there and the music that was going on from the local bands was so intense and exciting. The fire in the song below, makes me think of the rage one must feel. After awhile I realized I didn't have to think too hard, because inevitably this all seems familiar. When it goes down though, L.A. the front lines, is going to be a crazy place.

I found a little Colombianmusic shoptucked away in the depths of South London. Naturally they sell a lot of cumbia. I asked for stuff from the Northern Caribbean coast of Colombia. They said "aahh Tropicales" and pulled out a load of cds with half-naked birds on the covers. Felt like I was buying some dirty mags or something.

Anyway, the music is excellent, lots of accordions and general sunny vibes for this season.

One of the tracks is an exception, from the city of Cali in middle of Colombia.

Less accordions, more of a dirty guitar funk jam, unlike most cumbias i've heard. Afrosound were one of first cumbia groups to mix trippy rock into their sound. Its off the Disco Fuentes label where you can buy lots more cumbia.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Just in time for the summer, warming up for carnival, The Heatwave Sound have a hot new mix & night for you.

They're gonna play "Anything ravey from the Caribbean and anything Caribbeany from the UK - bashment, funky, soca, garage, bassline, jungle etc. Lots of ragga vocals and dancehall rhythms but all very hype and rowdy like rave music".

That sounds Ghetto Bassquake music to me.

If you don't know Ramp by Menta & Ms.Dynamite, you need to listen to this mix.

Radioclit warmed up the folded arms indie crowd with monstrous Coupe Decale/Kuduro/Kwaito tracks like Township Funk before Esau took to the stage and sang his tunes with a smile that immediately filled the club. Harmonies so on point that you could hardly tell the difference between his live vocals and the pre-recorded backing vocals. The incredible melodies of Kamphopo & Tengazako 2 over the tight tropical carnival beats of Radioclit warmed the heart of the most jaded Londoner. I even saw some drunk city boys in suits jumping around. This is why Esau's music will make him a star. Joined by the ever entertaining Marina (ex Bonde Do Role) and two African dancers, they left the stage having won the crowd over completo. The final Secousse was Afro-tropical-trance mayhem.

In three months we will see the release of F3K Films Coupe Decale documentary. Shot in Bidjan, Paris, London, Accra and Lome, the film will be released on DVD and with both French and Portuguese subtitles.

The London based production team have previously shot music videos and a feature but are now turning their hands to present the Coupe Decale story from the artists and fans in the scene. It was co-produced it with Ivorian entertainment group, FITW.

The producers tell me its 'PURE FLAVOUR from the Ivory Coast'. And if this trailer is anything to go by, its going to be an absolutete BANGER.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

It seems a goodtime to finally post on a connection that I had made, which may be superficial, but remains an exciting discovery for me to make.

The past couple Sierra Leone parties/events that I've been to, I noticed a fast, double-timed drum music, programmed on synthesizers, that for some reason I've been associating with the Mende, but I can't quite remember why. Always wanting to represent for my own people, and add an African perspective to the electronic global conversation, I've been trying to chase down recordings of this music but haven't been able to find the ones I've hear at the parties. Next time I'm home, I'm going to track it down. Here's a video of a Salone party where they play it at 1:00 minute.

Sierra Leone/Gambia Party

Anyway, back SF Carnaval weekend, I was djing with DJ Rajah at Bollyhood Cafe in SF, and I came out of the bathroom and he was playing a music that sounded just like that Mende music. I ran up to Rajah and asked where he got that! He told me it was from the Dominican Republic, and later he emailed me some tracks. I guess it was GaGa that he was playing?